


The Love You Seek

by shimmeringswift



Series: The Things We Hide [11]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, BAMF!North, Best Friends, Boys In Love, Brothers, Cliffhanger, Elijah Kamski And Gavin Reed Are Brothers, F/F, F/M, Forgiveness, French Language, Gavcats - Freeform, Grave Visit, Gun Violence, High IQ, Hurt/Comfort, Idiots in Love, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced BDSM, Italy, Language, Love, M/M, Name-Calling, Neurological Issues, North is queen, Overstimming, Panic Attacks, Phone Calls & Telephones, Referenced Childbirth, Romance, Science Boys, Stuttering, Talking To Dead People, Twins, Violence, Voicemail, We love our boys in this house, breakdowns, dad!hank, disgustingly in love, mafia!au, moving in, sedatives, we love North in this house
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-10
Updated: 2021-02-09
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:02:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25175830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shimmeringswift/pseuds/shimmeringswift
Summary: “This is Richard at my personal cell. If this is a work-related matter, call my other phone. Otherwise, leave a message with your name and number and I’ll call you back as soon as I am able.”“Uhm, hey. It’s Gavin. I didn’t think you’d pick up. It’s an international number, so yeah. Anyway, I just wanted to say thank you. For the present. It…” Gavin smoothed his finger across the necklace in his pocket. “It’s perfect. I, uh. I’m coming home earlier than I thought. And I really want to see you. I’ll give you my flight details and stuff, if you want to pick me up at the airport. We can talk on the way home? Is that okay? Maybe that’s weird. I dunno. But, uh. Yeah. I’ll call again with my flight details. Bye, love you.”
Relationships: Markus/Simon (Detroit: Become Human), Original Chloe | RT600/Elijah Kamski, Tina Chen/North, Upgraded Connor | RK900/Gavin Reed
Series: The Things We Hide [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1218930
Comments: 62
Kudos: 111





	1. Send Me Away, Save My Pain

**Author's Note:**

> Hey friends! Man, I really wish this chapter was longer, but the way it ended was so perfect. I loved the way I ended it. I'm going to try and update again too! Thoughts, comments, theories, and everything are welcome in the comments section below!
> 
> This... Also might be the second to last part? We'll just have to see how it plays out. ;) Enjoy~!
> 
> Also! Don't be scared to hit me up on tumblr either! I really love to make new friends!

“This is Kamski.” Elijah pressed the phone to his ear, pushing up his glasses as he walked into the kitchen. He twisted his hair up into a bun as he took a look at his projects spread across the table in the corner.

_“Elijah, is he with you? Is he with you?”_

“Daniel, I hope you recognize that at the moment, I’m not currently in the United States, so, if you don’t mind, please get to the point.”

_“I don’t know how everyone knows, but they know. Arkait Industries knows that you have a brother, Elijah. If he’s with you, you need to get him out of there. Get him home as soon as you can. Get him to me, Chloe, or someone. Anyone. They don’t know who he is yet, but they will if you don’t leave.”_

Elijah stopped. He glanced around the kitchen, pursing his lips. Slowly, he walked over to the table and sat down. He kept his voice quiet, to keep Gavin from hearing. “Do you think they’re going to attack?”

_“I know Italy is technically our territory, but you didn’t exactly keep it quiet you were going. Everyone knows the second biggest Cyberlife tower is in Milan, which is awfully close to Switzerland, which is controlled by A.I. But, your mother’s grave is in Blevio, which means, you’re also probably staying on the land she owned there. Like a fucking idiot. Jesus, Elijah. Milan would’ve been safer.”_

“We don’t stay in Milan, trust me. It’s better we’re in Blevio.” Elijah ran his fingers across the maps on the table. He drummed his fingers on the map. “We’re on the opposite side of the water from the border. How long do you think we have?”

_“A drive from Sagno to Blevio takes thirty minutes, so take a fucking guess. They’ll have better luck in a chopper, if I’m honest. But, you need to get your brother out of there. They’re going to be looking for him. They don’t even know what he looks like, but anyone with you is in danger.”_

Elijah swept a hand across the maps. “Okay. What do files do I need to prioritize taking with me?”

_“His documents. You have the only copies in the world in that house. Find them. Take them with you. All of your other schematics for projects are all in the Cyberlife cloud. If you have anything that isn’t take it. Anything you can’t live without, take it. They’re not going to attack in broad daylight. So, get him out by tonight. I’d say you have until five, maybe six. **At the latest.** ”_

The line went dead. With a sigh, Elijah put away his phone and rolled up the maps on the table. They had a copy of them in the Detroit tower. His gaze scanned the kitchen, looking for anything else he might be missing. Elijah walked down the hallway and into his office, closing the door behind him. He threw the maps into the fireplace. From the office closet, he grabbed a duffel bag off of the shelf.

He pulled out his phone again as he knelt beside the desk and opened a drawer. Piles of documents and flash drives and photos sat within it. After dialing the first number on his speed dial, he began to move the contents of the drawer into the duffel bag.

_“Elijah? How is your trip with Gavin going?”_

Chloe. A weight lifted off of his shoulders. He breathed out a sigh of relief.

“Darling, I need you to listen to me carefully. Are you alone?”

 _“I’m with Simon, Daniel is at work.”_ He heard her whisper to Simon in French. After a few minutes, there was the sound of a door clicking shut. _“I’m alone now, in your office, is everything alright?”_

“When we got married, I know I promised not to get you involved in my work, Chloe. But, I don’t have a choice. One of the other factions is aware I have a brother, and there’s reason to believe they’re going to attack tonight. I’m going to take us to Milan Linate Airport. They don’t know who Gavin is, just that he exists.”

_“What do you need me to do?”_

“Anything. I know his apartment is safe, but I need him to not go home for a few days. Is there a way you can convince him to stay at our house? I know that Simon and Daniel are there, but darling, I have a very bad feeling.” He let out a long breath and opened one of the other desk drawers. Elijah began to move the contents of that drawer into the bag too. “I don’t want to tell him what’s going on, but I know if he’s at the house you’re all safe. Daniel is very good at what he does and will make sure nothing happens, but, but I can’t, nothing can-”

_“Elijah.”_

And there was her voice, so soft, so quiet, so serene. He let out a long breath, rubbing the ring on his finger. “I just can’t lose you. I can’t lose our children. I can’t lose him. I can’t lose anyone else.”

 _“ **Mon chéri,** ” _At the soft, French pet name, he was calm. _“I am going to tell you what I’m doing right now, so you will realize how silly you sound.”_

He let out a soft, surprised laugh. “Okay.”

 _“I am sitting in your office, which is right next to our bedroom, which is the safest place in the house. I’m staring at a picture of us holding our beautiful daughter, who we named after your mother, on the day she was born. I have a hand on my **beline** sized – whale sized – stomach because your child is very large. He will not stop kicking me at night because his Papa is not here.”_ She paused, and laughed a little. _“ **Mon chéri,** our relationship is not easy because of your work, and I understand that. It is hard and causes problems. But, I am your wife. Gavin is my brother too. I will take care of him. Even if it means I have to have this baby early to keep him safe. **Oui?** ”_

“ _Oui_.” Elijah echoed, a long breath of relief pouring out of him. “Thank you. Daniel… he’s good at his job. Talk to him if you have questions or need help. I have to burn this phone. Gavin will be coming home ahead of me. I have a few things to wrap up in Milan first, okay?” He paused, “And Chloe, darling? I love you.”

_“I love you too, Elijah.”_

He ended the call and zipped the duffel shut. Elijah scavenged through the rest of his office before dumping all unnecessary documents into the fireplace. Then, he set it ablaze. Picking up his tablet and duffel bag, Elijah walked back into the kitchen. He set the duffel onto the table and walked into the living room with his tablet.

Gavin sat on the couch with a laptop on his lap. He didn’t look up, just asked, “Who was that? Chloe?”

“Mhm. She said thinks the baby might arrive earlier than expected and to be home soon.” Elijah braced his arm on the back of the sofa, bending down to look at Gavin’s laptop screen. “What are you working on? You just finished your Master’s in Mandarin, right? What’s next on the agenda?”

How was he going to get Gavin back home?

Gavin tipped his head back with a crooked grin. Elijah pushed Gavin’s glasses back up as his younger brother spoke, “I got contacted by the CDC and the American Medical Board a while back. They asked me to help them update some information with the current diseases and illnesses. I mean, seeing as only you, and the illuminati – which are basically the same thing – know my actual IQ, they’re the ones who contacted me. I was also asked to update the guidelines for lab safety, and the guidelines for prosthetic technology requirements. Standard stuff.”

“No new degree plan, then?” His brother’s gaze trailed over the browser tabs. He could let Gavin see the charts for the Red Ice… Gavin always had something brainy to say about drugs and chemical formulas. Now that they had the molecular formula for the Red Ice, there’s a good chance Gavin would see something Elijah himself had missed and would want to do experiments, but Gavin was only doing experiments in the lab in Detroit. So, it should work.

“I mean, I’m in medical school. Does that count? They have these new programs where you can get your degree through virtual reality and they offer some augmented reality stuff too. They’re letting me beta test for course credit. It’s pretty cool.”

“That actually is pretty neat. I think I read about it happening somewhere in France. Or maybe Chloe mentioned it. Camilla is always updating her on that kind of stuff.” Elijah paused. “This is off-topic, but can I ask you a hypothetical?”

“Ah, yes. Always wanting something from me.” Gavin teased, setting his laptop aside. “Go for it.”

Elijah handed him a tablet, choosing his words carefully as he watched Gavin’s face. “Say, theoretically, that someone created a drug out of thirium…”

The color drained from his face. “The formula for thirium got out. How? We’ve kept this under lock and key for years.”

“It isn’t the thirium formula.”

Gavin looked up at him, “What do you mean?”

His brother leaned forward, swiping a finger across the screen. A holograph popped out. Formulas melded together smoothly. Gavin used a finger to spin it. “No, you’re right. This isn’t thirium. This is that new street drug. What’s it called, Red Ice?”

“Right, but watch this.”

Another swipe on the screen. The Red Ice formula merged with a different one.

Gavin expanded the size of the formulas, standing to walk inside of the holograph. He looked down at the tablet before handing it to Elijah. “Do you see this?”

A soft swear in Italian dropped from Gavin’s mouth.

Elijah lifted a brow, “See what, exactly?”

As Gavin walked through the holograph, he shifted the molecules, altering them as he went. He connected hydrogens to oxygens and oxygens to calciums, completely changing the makeup. Awe spread across his face. “Look at this. This has- This has- This has the power-” _When did Gavin’s stutter start acting up again? Maybe he should talk to Chloe about picking back up speech therapy with Gavin._ “the power to be an amazing neurochemical.”

“A drug?”

Gavin shook his head, speaking a little slower. “No, no. Look, see what I did here? The thirium is no longer toxic because we’re combining it with this here, and breaking it into significantly smaller amounts, but by restructuring the Red Ice, it becomes something completely amazing. This could be a revolutionary neurochemical.”

“Want to go to the lab?”

Gavin shook his head again. “I want to go to yours, at home.”

Perfect. Good. Elijah nodded. “I have some things I need to take care of here first, so I’ll be here a bit longer, but if you want to leave early, I can get you a flight tonight.”

After a moment, Gavin nodded, “Yeah. That’d be good. Want to go see Mamma first though.”

“Since you’re leaving early…” Elijah began, “I have a duffel bag of some stuff I need to take to the tower in Detroit. Would you bring it home early for me and drop it by the house?”

“Sure, yeah. I can do it.”

_“This is Richard at my personal cell. If this is a work-related matter, call my other phone. Otherwise, leave a message with your name and number and I’ll call you back as soon as I am able.”_

“Uhm, hey. It’s Gavin. I didn’t think you’d pick up. It’s an international number, so yeah. Anyway, I just wanted to say thank you. For the present. It…” Gavin smoothed his finger across the necklace in his pocket. “It’s perfect. I, uh. I’m coming home earlier than I thought. And I really want to see you. I’ll give you my flight details and stuff, if you want to pick me up at the airport. We can talk on the way home? Is that okay? Maybe that’s weird. I dunno. But, uh. Yeah. I’ll call again with my flight details. Bye, love you.”

“Hey, Mamma.” Gavin set the daisies down at the gravestone. He sat down on the ground, speaking softly to his mother. “I think you’d be happy with me. Sort of. I met someone. He’s amazing. I really think you’d’ve liked him. I know I do. He’s… Everything. We’re fighting right now, and I’m really mad at him, but I love him with all of my heart. I wish you’d felt that way about Dad, Mamma. I wish you got the opportunity to love someone like I do Richard. I know your marriage was arranged, and that you practically hated each other, but it’s not like that with Richard. He _loves_ me, Mamma. And not like David did. And I just… I really wish you were here. I’m tired of lying to people and I’m frustrated with the mess that has been my life. But, I’m happy that I get to come see you and spend time with Eli. I just wanted to stop by and say I love you. And I miss you. And, I think I want to marry Richard, Mamma. I think he’s the one.”

He wasn’t sure if Richard was going to show up at the airport. As he walked through the baggage claim, Gavin let out a shuddering breath. His fingers brushed across the dog tags in his pocket. He drew his – well, technically Richard’s – jacket tighter around himself as he searched for his bags. Richard had never called him back, or so much as texted him that he would be there. But, maybe he wouldn’t come.

Nervously, Gavin fiddled with his phone, debating on starting a stream. If Richard didn’t show, he’d call Tina and start one. Or maybe he would just call his dad and go home. Yeah, calling Hank was the better option. Or maybe he would just call a cab.

He gathered his luggage, and went to leave the airport. As he walked out the front doors, he scanned the area. When he didn’t see Richard, his shoulders slumped with a sigh. He adjusted his glasses and pulled out his phone.

“Gavin!”

Gavin spun around to see his boyfriend waving his arms like a lunatic. A bright smile spread across Gavin’s face and he laughed. He luggage rolled behind him as he ran toward Richard. The embrace was weird, but sweet and warm. Gavin pressed a kiss to Richard’s mouth. But Richard drew back quickly.

“We have to hurry or we’ll be late!” Richard rushed about loading both Gavin and his belongings into a car Gavin didn’t even know Richard owned.

Laughing again, Gavin asked, “Late for what? I’ve never seen you like this.”

The urgency died down some as Richard pulled out of the airport. “Well, there’s this house that I thought was perfect in the University District. And they have an open house that ends in forty-five minutes.”

“An… open house?”

A sheepish expression spread across Richard’s face as he merged onto the highway. “Well. I thought about what you said. I think living with Connor is only going to make standing up to him more difficult, and I know you said your lease ends next month, so I thought maybe… This would be a good way for me to get some space from Connor and for us to take the next step in our relationship. And that maybe, it would show you that I’m serious and I don’t want to hurt you.”

A blush danced across Gavin’s cheeks. “I love you.”

“Is that a yes?”

“Are you going to properly ask me to buy a house with you?” Gavin teased.

There was a twinkle in Richard’s eye. “Gavin, darling, sweetheart, love of my life, would you like to buy a house with me?”

“Of course I would, you idiot.” Laughter bubbled from Gavin’s chest.

Richard grinned at him, “Now, we have twenty-five minutes until we’ll be there. So, I’m going to be a proper gentleman and ask you: how was your trip, my love?”

“‘My love?’ That one’s new. I like it.” Gavin pushed up his glasses and leaned forward to adjust the heater settings. “And it was good. I spent quality time with my brother and got to see Mamma, so it was good.”

“You saw your mother?”

“Well.” Gavin looked away. “I mean, she died when I still a kid. But, I went to see her grave. She was born in Italy, so that’s why Eli and I go every year. It’s hard with her being gone, always was, but it’s way for us to be closer. “I think she would’ve liked you. A lot. You’re pretty similar. Type A personalities, and all.”

Richard huffed a quiet laugh at Gavin’s remark, and then said, “I understand how that could be difficult. Connor and I never met our birth parents. We were adopted by our now estranged mother, but even still, most of the time it was just Connor and I against the world. I think it is part of the reason he may not like you. He doesn’t have me all to himself anymore, doesn’t have to protect me and watch over me anymore. I’m not saying his behavior is right, because it’s not. But, I am saying that I think I understand. He’s… We’ve had a difficult life, as I’m sure you have.” He reached over and placed a hand on Gavin’s. “But, I have someone to start over with, and he doesn’t. I think he just might be lonely.”

“You’ve… you’ve never really opened up to me like that before.” Gavin blinked, his eyes widened slightly with surprise. “Thank you. And… maybe after we get settled into our new place, we can start having him over for dinner sometimes. But, maybe we also invite Tina and Hank as buffers.”

Richard’s entire face went soft. He spared a moment’s glance over at Gavin, giving him the softest, dopey-ist, _I’m so in love with you_ look he’d ever seen.


	2. Because It Feels Like Poetry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Chloe! Chloe, answer the door!” Gavin banged on the door. No one came to answer it. “C’mon, Chloe! Simon, get the door! C’mon! I’m worried about you and it’s fucking freezing out here!”
> 
> Finally, the door opened. Simon pulled him into the house, keeping a hand on his elbow. “She’s in here. You might want to sit down.”
> 
> Chloe was in the living room, staring at the TV, standing with her hands covering her mouth. Her other brother, Daniel, stood behind her with a sleeping Nettie in his arms. He was watching the TV as well. Gavin tossed the duffle down and pushed in his suitcase.
> 
> “Live with breaking news, this is Adrian Sawyer on CTNTV. Detroit’s own billionaire CEO of Cyberlife, Elijah Kamski, was admitted to San Raffaele Hospital in Milan, Italy after an attempt was made on his life. He was attacked in his home in Belvio and airlifted to the hospital. We are unaware of the current state of his injuries, but when he was first transported, we were told his condition was critical.”
> 
> The color drained from Gavin’s face. Holy shit. Was… Was that why Elijah had convinced him to leave early? Did he know what was going to happen?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit: the_queercat was really helpful and pointed out that I had Gavin referring to Chloe with vous, instead of tu (which is more familial). That's been changed! Thanks!
> 
> A few quick notes:
> 
> 1) Haha, oops. I've been saying for the past three days I wanted to upload this. So... Uh, hey, Kiko, I finally did it!
> 
> 2) Come join us in the Gavcats discord to ramble and goof off about theories, plots, and other fun stuff:  
> https://discord.gg/MBtgTy
> 
> 3) Title is from James Arthur's Quite Miss Home. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w02I0WzruI0
> 
> 4) The house mentioned in the chapter is kind of a blend between these two: 
> 
> https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/ead2a1f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/640x360+0+34/resize/1280x720!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmediaassets.wxyz.com%2Fphoto%2F2017%2F07%2F21%2F_MG_0559_1500650976218_63242591_ver1.0_640_480.jpg
> 
> https://previews.123rf.com/images/spirer/spirer1612/spirer161200017/67937268-english-middle-class-suburban-street-with-tudor-style-houses.jpg

It was a normal, almost too boring night.

Nothing was on but reality television and she’d already ordered in from that Chinese place Gavin _hated._ North had her shift until seven, but then was going to come over and spend the night. Tina rolled her shoulders and plopped down onto her couch, Chinese takeout in her lap. The moment she signed into Netflix, her phone rang.

_“Tina? Tina, are you there?”_

“Elijah?” She paused, a forkful of food on its way to her mouth. Her gaze dipped to the clock. “Is everything alright? You sound-”

_“There isn’t time for that. I need you to do me a favor.”_

“What is it? Is everything okay?”

_“First tell me he’s back, I only have few minutes before-”_

There was a loud noise in the background. Dread filled her stomach.

“Gunshots? Elijah?”

_“I’m here. I’m here. Is he back?”_

“Just got a text from Gavin a little while ago. He’s back.”

There was a sigh of relief. _“Tina, there’s a drawer in the desk of my office with a file in it. The office we meet in. I need you to burn it. There’s one in the lab as well.”_

“How will I know which one it is?”

_“It’s the formula for thirium. The only source aside from my brother. I have to go now, I have to burn the phone before the find me, just hurry!”_

There was a single gunshot and the line went dead.

Gavin got out of the car, slipping his gloved hand into Richard’s as they walked up the walkway of the house. The house itself was absolutely beautiful. It was a combination of a Tudor style house and a Victorian gothic house. There was wood paneling along the front of the house, classic Tudor style, but had a Victorian style tower where the door and entrance would be. A realtor, whose nametag read _Luther_ , greeted them at the door. A little girl stood beside him, holding a clipboard and wearing a miniature uniform. After a moment, Gavin paused.

“Luther?” He looked toward the little girl, “And you must be Alice?”

The little girl nodded.

Gavin offered his hand to Luther. “I’m Gavin, I know your wife, Kara. This is my partner, Richard.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Luther shook his hand. “Can I interest you gentleman in a tour?”

Richard nodded, resting his hand on Gavin’s lower back. “We would love that.”

“Papa!” Alice tugged on Luther’s sleeve. “Can I do it?”

Luther nodded with a smile and motioned for them to follow her. Alice led them into the kitchen first. “This is my favorite place. I think it’s because of all of the cookies that could be made here.”

Gavin let out a small laugh, leaning his head against Richard’s shoulder as they explored the house together. As they stepped into the living room, Gavin looked up at Richard, who was already looking down at him. This time, Gavin was the one to give Richard his dopiest, _I’m so in love with you_ expression.

They had just left the open house when Gavin’s phone rang.

In French, Chloe rambled into his ear, _“_ _Gavin, je t'en prie, viens. Il y a quelque chose de faux. Je m'inquiète pour Elijah et le bébé, et il y a Nettie, Simon ici, mais j'ai besoin de toi ici, et je ne sais pas quoi faire. Quand il m'a appelé plus tôt et m'a dit que quelque chose pouvait arriver, je ne pensais pas que c'était ce qu'il voulait dire et je-_ _”_

_Gavin, please, please, come over. There’s something wrong. I’m worried about Elijah, and the baby, and there’s Nettie, Simon’s here, but I need you here and I just don’t know what to do. When he called me earlier and said something might happen, I didn’t think that this is what meant and I-_

“Whoa, whoa, _prenez une grande respiration et détendez tu_.” _Take a deep breath and relax._ Gavin combed a hand through his hair. He spared a glance toward Richard, whose brow dipped with confusion and concern. _“Je viens de quitter une journée portes ouvertes avec Richard. Je serais là bientôt.” I just left an open house day with Richard. I will be there soon._

The call ended. He let out a long breath and turned to Richard. “That was my sister-in-law. I, I have to go. She’s three weeks out from having her baby, and something’s up with my brother, so I’m going to get a cab and go to her place. Don’t know how long I’ll be gone. I’ll call you later?”

“Do you want me to drive you?”

Gavin shook his head and they walked up to Richard’s car. Gavin pulled his belongings out of the backseat. “No, they have this thing about people they don’t know being in their house.”

Richard nodded, leaning in to peck Gavin on the mouth. “Call me when you can. We can celebrate your birthday this weekend.”

“Thank you for understanding.” Gavin kissed Richard again. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“Chloe! Chloe, answer the door!” Gavin banged on the door. No one came to answer it. “C’mon, Chloe! Simon, get the door! C’mon! I’m worried about you and it’s fucking freezing out here!”

Finally, the door opened. Simon pulled him into the house, keeping a hand on his elbow. “She’s in here. You might want to sit down.”

Chloe was in the living room, staring at the TV, standing with her hands covering her mouth. Her other brother, Daniel, stood behind her with a sleeping Nettie in his arms. He was watching the TV as well. Gavin tossed the duffle down and pushed in his suitcase.

_“Live with breaking news, this is Adrian Sawyer on CTNTV. Detroit’s own billionaire CEO of Cyberlife, Elijah Kamski, was admitted to San Raffaele Hospital in Milan, Italy after an attempt was made on his life. He was attacked in his home in Belvio and airlifted to the hospital. We are unaware of the current state of his injuries, but when he was first transported, we were told his condition was critical.”_

The color drained from Gavin’s face. Holy shit. Was… Was that why Elijah had convinced him to leave early? Did he know what was going to happen?

_“We have no information as to who attempted the assassination, but as soon as we know more, you will be the first to know.”_

His gaze leapt from the television to Daniel, to Simon, and finally landed on Chloe. She was frozen, her eyes unable to leave the television set. Her face scrunched, but she kept her gaze on the picture of Elijah on the television. One of her hands slid down to her pregnant stomach. His eyes followed her hand down and then to the floor.

Then, he was at her side in an instant. Gavin placed a hand on her lower back and the other on her arm. He turned to Simon, “Take- Take Nettie- Take Nettie from Daniel and call Markus. Tell him we’re on our way.” Then, he turned to Daniel, “Grab the go-bag, and move my shit out of the doorway. We won’t want to deal with it when we get back.”

Then, to Chloe, “Chloe, do you know what’s happening?”

She shook her head, murmuring, _“Pas maintenant. Je ne peux pas, non. Je ne peux pas.” Not now. I can't, no. I can’t._

“Chloe, it’s going to be okay.” He spoke to her softly, guiding her to the door as her brothers raced to do what he told them to. “It’s going to be good. You’re going to have a baby, and Eli will be here before you know it, okay?”

She was shaking her head vigorously, but let him guide her to the car in the garage. As he finished getting her loaded into the car, Daniel was tossing the go-bag into the trunk and Simon was strapping Nettie into her car seat. Daniel started the car and Simon and Gavin climbed into the back.

When they arrived at the hospital, Markus and North were waiting for them at the front entrance. Simon, carrying Nettie, leaned forward to greet his husband with a kiss as North helped Chloe into a wheelchair.

Chloe gripped tight to Gavin’s arm. North looked from Chloe, who was murmuring protests and panic in French, to Gavin. He pulled out his phone and opened his news app before showing it to her. North winced. “Take her up to floor four. I need to talk to Markus. We’ll be right there.”

He obeyed her request, Daniel following closely behind him. North grabbed Markus by the arm. Simon stopped walking as well. “We need to talk.” She leaned in, her voice a whisper, “Elijah Kamski was shot, but I don’t think it was him they were looking for.”

Markus’ face hardened and he motioned for them to go inside. “Let’s go somewhere private. Lucy’s in labor and delivery tonight.” He looked at Simon. “She’s the best. Chloe will be fine.”

Markus placed a hand on Simon’s lower back, guiding his husband through the hospital, North alongside them as they wove their way through the hallways and into Markus’ office. Simon took a seat in one of the chairs, cradling his niece against his chest. North shut and locked the door before going to sit on the edge of Markus’ desk. Markus sat down beside Simon, wrapping arm around his shoulders.

“Okay, so let’s talk. Tell me again, what exactly happened?”

Simon brushed his hand down Nettie’s back, rubbing up and down in a soothing motion. The couple watched North, waiting for her to speak.

“Elijah Kamski was shot.” She drummed her fingers on the desk. “In Italy. Gavin was initially there with him. But, came home early for whatever reason. I don’t think it was for nothing though. Gavin doesn’t just come home early from that house. He _loves_ that place.”

“Wasn’t it his mother’s home?” Markus asked.

Simon nodded, “Yes, but according to the news, the house was completely destroyed.”

North groaned. “Fuck.”

“I think…” Simon began, a wince spreading across his face. He paused, not wanting to say the words on the tip of his tongue. Both Markus and North looked at him expectantly. He cradled his niece closer to his chest, stroking her hair. “I think A.I. knows about Gavin.” Surprised flashed across their faces, but Simon continued forward, “Maybe not him specifically. But, that Elijah has a brother. I’ve been suspicious for a while now, that someone knew, but…”

“What did Daniel have to say?” Markus asked, gently rubbing Simon’s shoulder.

“I haven’t had the chance to speak with him about it.”

There was a pause.

“But,” Simon added, “I don’t think he was surprised. And, Gavin’s flight was timed perfectly for him to miss the attack.”

“You think Kamski knew?” North let her hair out of its ponytail.

“I think he found out last minute. Because if there’s someone who knows Gavin better than anybody…”

“It’s Elijah.” Markus hummed in thought. “And, what do we think of Gavin’s partner?”

“How is Gavin stupid enough not to realize who he is?” North groaned, burying her face in her hands. “Is he that much of a fucking idiot?”

“I don’t think he wants to see it.” Simon murmured. “He’s finally found someone. We spoke briefly after he was shot, discussing PT and the like. But, he’s… He’s happy. I don’t know if he mentioned it, but he’s off his meds. He wasn’t on a high dosage or anything, but he’s doing so much better that he just doesn’t need it. He doesn’t want to be addicted.”

Simon took a long, deep breath, and spoke again.

“He’s not stupid. He knows.”

“He just can’t admit it to himself.” Markus nodded, slowly. “He doesn’t want to be tied to another faction. _Can’t_ be tied to another faction. He’s only with us to get out from under his brother’s wing.”

“It’s not like Elijah stands for anything good, either. He’s just as bad as A.I. and Stern Inc.”

“God, that sounds so holier-than-thou, Simon.” North teased, but then grew somber. “What are we going to do? So, one of the three Sterns knows Kamski has a brother. Kamski’s probably not going to see Gavin for a while. Meaning, neither will Simon or Chloe. Camilla stays on stream chat to keep an eye on him. That really just leaves Daniel, but he’s the man behind the desk for Kamski, so there isn’t much he can really do.”

“Gavin is capable of protecting himself. He’s a black belt in three different martial arts and went through the police academy. So, it’s not like he’s untrained.” Markus pointed out. “If we suddenly just have a lot of people around him, his brother will get suspicious.”

“North, aren’t you around him a lot anyway? You’re dating his best friend.”

“I mean, yeah, kind of.”

“It’s not like Jericho has an icon, though. We don’t have a spokesperson like the other factions. Not yet. But, it _has_ allowed us to remain hidden. If they don’t know who we are, they can’t attack us.” With a sigh Simon shook his head. “I’m tired. I also want to go see my sister and niece or nephew. Is this a necessary conversation to have right now?”

“No, you’re right.” Markus agreed. He stood, offering his arms up for Nettie. Simon passed her off to his husband and stood. “One of us needs to talk to Gavin about what he knows. But, your sister’s husband was just shot. She could probably use some comfort.”

_“I must admit, it is certainly a surprise to hear from you. I thought you had sided with your brother on things.”_

“Initially I had.” The words were bitter, filled with unending depth.

_“What changed?”_

“Richard.” Connor spat. “He’s changed. Gone soft. We had an opportunity to retrieve some very valuable information, and he left without giving it a second thought. But, I had some other information that you might find interesting.”

_“I’m a very busy woman, Connor. I ask that you don’t waste my time.”_

“His… harlot has an intelligence score of 317.”

There was a pause, followed by a hum of thought. _“Really? That is very interesting. What made you decide to bring this to my attention?”_

“I’m sure you’re as aware as I am that the White Wolf is a problem. We had Kamski himself within our fingertips. No Kamski, no White Wolf. Or, at least, it would smoke out the White Wolf for us.” Connor pinched the bridge of his nose. “That was the op we were on when Richard bailed out. We were going to apprehend Kasmki, and take his files. Or kill him, then take his files. Kamski escaped, but not without first burning down his house. Files and all.”

_“Has your brother been acting out of character like this for long?”_

“ _Yes._ And I have had _enough_. He has the gall to blame me for what happened in the warehouse, with the men who had the hard drive. Which is now in the possession of Jericho. I’m done waiting them out. They won’t come to fight? I’ll bring the fight to them.” Connor paused. “I called because I have a proposal for you.”

_“Come over for dinner on Friday evening, dear. Then, we’ll talk.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know there's some French in here, if I fucked it up somehow, do share! I'd love to fix it!
> 
> Find me on tumblr at: shimmeringswift.tumblr.com, or come join the party on discord! We have a lot of fun there! We'd love to have you! https://discord.gg/MBtgTy


	3. Stop and Stare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe is a bad-ass motherfucker, and anyone who said anything different could kiss his ass.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Gavcats! I wanted to post this today, so here! Thanks for my buddies in the discord for being so fun to talk to! If you want to join us, here's the link: https://discord.gg/rkN2ZY3
> 
> Title of chapter comes from One Republic's Stop and Stare.
> 
> Enjoy~!

Women were amazing, in Gavin’s opinion. But, thank _fucking God he was gay._ Childbirth was probably the most disgusting thing he had ever seen in his life. The scientific part of his brain went crazy and was excited about getting to see it. But God, it was _disgusting. And painful._

Chloe is a bad-ass motherfucker, and anyone who said anything different could kiss his ass.

Finally, when it was over, they settled into her room.

Perks of being a wife and baby-Mama of a rich and famous CEO? The VIP suite. Though, considering the owner of the hospital was her brother-in-law, they probably would’ve gotten it anyway.

It was private, and huge.

Gavin sat on the edge of the bed beside Chloe. Daniel sat with Nettie in his lap on the couch, both of them fast asleep. Simon and Markus sat at the table in the corner, talking quietly. And Gavin sat beside Chloe, holding one of the babies.

Yeah, that had been a surprise.

Twins.

The entire time, Chloe had been swearing up a storm in French, and when baby number one had popped out, Lucy had told her there was another on the way.

Chloe had already had a difficult time giving birth to one baby without Elijah there, but when Lucy told her about baby number two, she started to sob and her body went limp. Gavin had ended up sitting behind her, _Grey’s Anatomy_ George-Bailey style, and helped her push.

But now, Chloe was more relaxed, cradling Unnamed Baby Boy Kamski, and Gavin was cradling Unnamed Baby Girl Kamski. Chloe had fallen asleep, her son in her arms. With a quiet sigh, Gavin looked down at the baby in his arms.

It had been such a long day. Week, really.

He just wanted to talk to Richard. 

Couldn’t he just go home and pretend nothing had happened? That nothing was wrong? That Elijah hadn’t been shot _hours_ after he had convinced Gavin to leave? That Elijah had known something was going to happen. 

He just wanted to talk to Richard. 

“Simon,” he said, quietly, as not to disturb the quiet of the room. Simon turned to him with an inquisitive expression. Gavin nodded down at the baby in his arms. The blonde nodded, standing up and coming to get the baby. 

“Are you leaving?” Simon asked as he took the baby from Gavin. 

“I don’t know. I’ll come back in and tell everyone before I decide to. But, I want to call my boyfriend.” 

Simon nodded. “I understand.” 

Gavin left the hospital room and walked out into the hallway. There was an empty family lounge around the corner that he made himself at home before calling Richard. 

_“Mmm, Gavin?”_

“God, I’m sorry. Did I wake you?”

“ _Sweetheart, it’s four o’clock in the morning.”_

“Fuck, is it really? I’m so fucking sorry I didn’t call. Things got… crazy.” 

_“Don’t worry yourself over it. I’m up now, and had an early start this morning anyhow. Let me make a pot of coffee.”_ There were sounds of shuffling, presumably Richard climbing out of bed. _“What’s going on?”_

“My sister in-law went into labor on the same night that my brother was in an accident.” He chose his words carefully. 

_"Car accident?”_

“Something like that, yeah. It’s just been a long night. And, surprise, surprise. She had twins. She already has one kid, and it’s just a lot for everyone right now.” 

_"When was the last time you slept?”_

There was a longer silence than Gavin would’ve liked to admit. 

_"Is there someone there with her right now?”_

“Her brothers.” 

_“_ _You need to sleep. I can do my work remote. Do you want to come over? Or would you rather I come to your place and you can sleep while I work?”_

“My place? I don’t really wanna deal with Connor.” 

When Richard laughed on the other side of the phone, the sound was sleepy. _“Which hospital are you at? Let me pick you up.”_

“Manfred Memorial.” 

_“_ _I’ll see you in twenty. I love you.”_

“Love you too.” 

Gavin poked his head into Chloe’s room long enough to tell Markus and Simon he was leaving. The couple gladly shooed him away, under the premise that North would kill him if he didn’t at least sleep a little. 

As Gavin walked out of the hospital, Richard had pulled up in his car with two travel cups in the cup holders. Gavin climbed into the car and leaned across the center console to kiss him. “I love you.” 

He grabbed the cup and took a sip. Gavin’s nose scrunched. A slight look of betrayal spread across his face. “This is tea.” 

“It is indeed.” Richard agreed, with a small smile. “You need sleep. Coffee won’t help.” 

“But… coffee.” 

“Later.” Richard promised. “After you sleep.” 

Even though Gavin pouted at the tea, he drank it and had fallen asleep before they even got back to his apartment.

“Lieutenant Anderson?”

Hank looked up from the folders spread across his desk. Rachel, the DPD receptionist, stood beside his desk, shuffling her feet nervously. “Kiddo, don’t look so nervous. What can I do for you?”

“Well, um, normally I wouldn’t bother you with this, but…” She placed a sticky note on the corner of his table. “I just got a phone call about a noise compliant, and I know I’m supposed to give this to an officer instead, but um… This is the address. The tenant is listed as Gavin Anderson. And isn’t that your son? It’s a domestic dispute. Neighbors said they heard a lot of yelling. Maybe something breaking? I’m not sure. I know technically I’m not supposed to give this to you, but...”

He stood from his chair, grabbing the sticky note. Hank pursed his lips. “This is his address, alright.”

Gently, he patted her shoulder. “Thanks, Rachel.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Discord Link: https://discord.gg/rkN2ZY3
> 
> We have a ton of fun, and you often get to scenes from chapters before they're posted! Come join us!
> 
> Be warned, there is a SHIT ton of angst next chapter.


	4. Just Don't Fucking Miss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gavin, who had been in the middle of making coffee, slammed his mug down on the counter. It shattered. “Oh my fucking god. You did not just make this about me being a sub.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oof. wow. Uh. It's been a hot minute guys. I left you on a bit of a cliffhanger, but never fear! I've got a present for you. That may just piss all of you off. 
> 
> MAJOR TRIGGER WARNING: (Semi-spoilery) Violence, panic attacks, over-stimming, implied abuse, neurological issues.
> 
> If you skip this chapter because of trigger warnings, dm me on tumblr and I can fill you in.
> 
> If you haven't yet, join the discord: https://discord.gg/MBtgTy  
> We have so much fun there!
> 
> Enjoy~!

Gavin stirred, letting out a sleepy sound, burrowing his face into the nearest surface. It happened to be Richard’s stomach. His boyfriend let out an amused sound, lowering his hand to comb it through Gavin’s hair.

“How are you feeling, my love?” Richard’s voice was a soft rumble. Gavin let out another sleepy sound and Richard chuckled. Richard’s fingers trailed down Gavin’s scalp to brush along his jawline. Gavin rolled his head back some to look up at him, leaning into the touch. They were in his bed, and Gavin’s entire body felt like goop. Richard had his laptop propped on his legs a bit further down, and a data pad was on the nightstand.

“Time is it?” He yawned, nuzzling into Richard’s hand.

“A quarter-past noon.” Richard’s fingers returned to his scalp. “Did you sleep well?”

“Always better with you here.” He murmured, the words mushing together. Gavin stretched, rolling to shift into Richard’s lap. He straddled Richard, sliding his hands up the side of Richard’s neck, drawing him into a long kiss. “I love you.”

Richard closed his laptop and moved it to the nightstand, his hands shifting to hold Gavin’s hips. Gavin rocked against him and Richard let out a low moan, his hands tightening around Gavin’s hips. Richard’s thumbs dipped into the back of Gavin’s sweatpants, using his hands to pull him closer. Gavin leaned down, pressing their mouths together. His fingers tangled in Richard’s hair, a soft gasp of pleasure sending sparks through them both.

“We need to talk about the lease, sweetheart.” Richard murmured against his lips. “And about what happened yesterday.”

“Mmm. Later.” Gavin’s hands made their way lower and lower, slipping up underneath Richard’s sleep shirt.

“Gavin.” The tone was filled with a warning.

“ _Later._ ” Gavin insisted.

“Gavin,” Richard used his grip on Gavin’s hips to move him backwards. “I know you’re stressed and worried about your brother and sister-in-law, but you were the one who said we need to communicate more. You can’t just have sex to avoid your feelings.”

Gavin froze. He climbed off of the bed.

Richard grabbed him by the wrist.

“Let me go.” Gavin’s words were icy. He didn’t even turn around. “I’m going to go take a shower, and get myself off, since you clearly don’t want to have sex with me.”

“You’re twisting my words. That isn’t what I said.” Richard snapped.

Jerking his wrist out of Richard’s grasp, Gavin spun around. “Have you thought that maybe, I don’t know, the paperwork could fucking wait? That it’s been a while since we’ve seen each other and that maybe I just wanted to be with you? That I’ve had a really emotional week and maybe needed some physical intimacy? Not that I expect you to understand what that’s like.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Richard stood up from the bed. Gavin just scoffed and left the bedroom. Richard followed him out into the kitchen. “No, really, I would _love_ to hear what you think. I understand the need for physical intimacy. I’m a fucking dom, Gavin, of course I understand that. I _also_ understand when subs are bratty just to get attention and to be put down into subspace.”

Gavin, who had been in the middle of making coffee, slammed his mug down on the counter. It shattered. “Oh my fucking _god._ You did not just make this about me being a sub.”

He whipped back around. He jabbed a finger at Richard. “This is a fucking control thing for you. _You_ have to control when we have sex. You have to have control over everything. First, the whole thing with David and the club, now _this?_ I’m not your fucking live-in-sub, Richard!”

“I knew that was going to come back up!” Richard threw out his hands. “I’m not controlling you, Gavin! I’ve told you this, and the fact that you think-”

“ _Really?_ Did you ask me to move in before or after you picked out houses and apartments to look at? You didn’t ask me if I wanted to move-in! You just decided we were buying a house together. It is- It is a- _It is_ a fucking control thing!”

 _Speech therapy._ Gavin made a mental note as he fumbled over his words, his emotions clouding his ability to properly articulate. His hands trembled. Tina. He should call Tina. His emotions were too much. Tina. Tina. He needed to call her. His phone was nowhere to be seen and Richard was blocking the only way out of the kitchen.

The lights burned. Too bright. His fingers curled and uncurled. Too bright.

Richard scoffed. “You really think all that I want is to control you? I want what’s _best_ _for you_. I support your ability to make your own choices, Gavin. And the fact that you think this is just some grab for power, is ridiculous. Okay, fine. I didn’t ask first. I got excited about _our future together_ and had been house hunting. And I found one. It was _coincidental_ , Gavin. Don’t use your trust issues to blame me when you freak out over something good happening in your life!”

“ _I_ have- _I_ have trust issues?” Gavin laughed, the sound hysterical. “ _I_ have trust issues, that’s fucking rich! Fine. Think what you want. But at least I have _the balls_ to stand up for myself to my brother.”

“And we’re back on this again.”

“We were never off of this! You think you- You think you- You think you can make a grand, sweeping romantic gesture and we don’t have to talk about it? Newsflash, dipshit, that’s not how relationships work.” Gavin snapped. “Jesus fucking Christ, Richard. I shouldn’t have to _mommy you_ about relationships. Get a fucking clue!”

“We talked about it! On the way to-”

“That half-assed attempted at a conversation doesn’t count!”

“Then, what does, Gavin?” Richard combed a hand through his hair. “I bend over fucking backwards for you and nothing is good enough! God, I try to do something nice for you and this is the thanks I get?”

Fury raged through him. Gavin shoved past Richard and left the kitchen. Richard grabbed him by the arm.

“Let me go!”

“I don’t understand what you’re so upset about!”

Gavin jerked away from him, but Richard’s grip only tightened. Hank. He wanted to call Hank. Tina. Someone. He just needed to not be here right now.

Gavin stopped moving. Richard still didn’t let go.

“Let me go, Richard.”

He didn’t let go. “I’m not trying to control you, Gavin. I want to understand why you’re upset and you aren’t exactly being forthcoming on the reason why.”

“Let. Me. Go.”

“Just talk to me!”

“You want me to talk to you?” He shoved Richard, yanking his hand away. “Fine! I’ll talk to you! You want to know why I’m upset? I’m sick and _tired_ of you controlling me! God, the first fucking thing you assumed was that this was some form of sex thing, that I was just being a fucking _brat_ because I wanted you to put me in subspace! If I wanted you to put me into subspace, you would fucking know! And then you have the fucking _audacity_ to claim that this wasn’t some way to assert control over me and-”

There was a loud, heavy knock on the door.

“Detroit Police!”

“Fucking _hell_.” Gavin hissed between his teeth. He jabbed a finger at Richard. “This isn’t fucking over.”

Gavin marched to the door and threw it open.

Aw, fuck.

“Dad?”

Hank stood at the door, arms crossed over his chest with a brow raised. Gavin groaned, rubbing his face with one hand and motioning Hank in with the other. With a sigh, Gavin closed the door behind him. “I need a fucking drink.”

“No, you fucking don’t. Sit your asses down. _Now._ ”

Gavin didn’t hesitate before walking into the living room and plopping down onto the far end of the sofa. Richard did the same, sitting on the opposing end. Hank stood in front of them, arms crossed. His gaze flickered over Richard once, twice, and then did the same with Gavin. His gaze caught on Gavin’s bare wrist. Gavin’s gaze flickered down. Purple started to ring around it where Richard had grabbed him. But, it wasn’t like he hadn’t been aggressive with Richard too.

Neither of them could meet his gaze.

“I don’t give a _shit_ what the two of you were fighting about. But it’s fucking noon on a Tuesday. You think I get a lot of fucking noise complaints at noon on a Tuesday?” Hank snapped. “You wanna scream and fight? _Fine._ But what you’re not gonna fucking do is break shit and get violent. I don’t see anything out here, but if I step foot into that motherfucking kitchen and see something broken, someone’s getting their ass beat.”

“I broke the mug.” Gavin admitted.

“Were you two fighting over the fucking dishes or something? Nah, it doesn’t matter. This isn’t fucking happening again.” Hank pointed at Gavin. “I’ll cut you a pass this time. But, the two of you know better. If you can’t handle an argument without some form of violence, you shouldn’t fucking be together.”

“I wasn’t the one who fucking started it!”

Hank jabbed his finger at Gavin, a firm glare throwing itself at him. “I don’t give a fuck who started it! I’m fucking ending it! You’re coming over for dinner tonight. If you two make-up and come together, fucking great. If not, I don’t give a shit, and Gavin can stay the night.”

He gestured to the two of them. “But this? Nuh-uh. Not okay. Not gonna happen again, got it? I’m telling Rachel to keep her ears open for anymore shit like this down at the station. Don’t make me get Fowler involved in this shit, or one of you will spend a night in jail, got it?”

“Got it.” They muttered in unison.

“And you-” Hank snarled, turning to Richard, who looked at him. Hank walked over to Gavin and grabbed his arm, motioning to the bruise already forming there. “You fucking touch my kid again, I’ll make sure your ass is locked up. Permanently. I know you two are into the kinky shit, so like I said, I’m cutting you a pass this time. But if I even get a whiff of you not treating him right, it’s over. You understand?”

“I understand.” The words were quiet.

“Now,” Hank let go of Gavin and patted his head. “I’ll see you at five, kiddo. If you aren’t on time, I’ll let Person come pick you up in the squad car, make a big scene.”

“Alright, alright.” Gavin rolled his eyes with a half-smile. “Be on time. I got it.”

They didn’t move, watching Hank leave.

As soon as the door was closed, Gavin stood from the sofa and walked into the kitchen. Richard followed behind him, leaning against the door way as Gavin got the broom out of the laundry room.

The silence was thick between them.

Gavin sure as hell wasn’t going to break it.

“So, that’s it then? We’re just not going to talk about this?”

Grinding his teeth together, Gavin and began to clean up the broken mug.

“And, you’re giving me the silent treatment now?”

Gavin sighed, exasperated. “What do you want me to say, Richard? I’m not apologizing for defending myself against your codependency issues.”

“Excuse me?”

He didn’t turn around as he kept cleaning.

“You heard me.”

“Against my-” Richard made a noise of frustration. “Are you serious? I’m not the only one at fault here.”

“Maybe. But you really haven’t been listening.” Gavin dumped the shards of glass into the trash can. “If you can’t understand why I’m upset, then I’m not going to tell you. Because I already have.”

“I have been listening, Gavin.” Richard snapped.

“Really?” Gavin put away the broom and sighed again. “Because I said my issues numerous times.”

He stopped in front of Richard. “You need to move. I need to get through.”

“Not until we talk about this.”

“Move.” Gavin crossed his arms over his chest. “ _Move._ ”

“No, I’m not moving until we talk about this.”

“You’re acting like a child. Now, move.”

Richard didn’t budge.

As quick as lightning, Gavin had Richard’s phone out of his pocket and was on the other side of the kitchen. His body thrummed with energy. “Move, or I’m calling the police. You don’t scare me, so quit trying to.”

“Really, Gavin?” He rolled his eyes. “There’s no need for that. I’m just trying to discuss with you what happened.”

“No, you’re holding me hostage, in my own kitchen, in my own apartment, and not letting me go shower because I’m going to my father’s house tonight. All because you don’t agree with me calling you out on your bullshit. So, _move._ ”

Richard still didn’t move.

Gavin dialed, his fingers trembling.

 _“Hello? Who is this?”_ North’s voice rang clear from the other side.

“Yes, hi, my name is Gavin Reed, and I’d like to have an officer come escort my boyfriend out of my apartment. He is currently holding me hostage in my kitchen.”

Richard watched him, brow raised.

_“Gavin? What’s going on? Are you two fighting?”_

“Yes, and I just need to get out of my kitchen. He’s blocking the doorway and won’t let me leave.” Gavin’s free hand trembled against his leg.

_“Why didn’t you call Hank? Are you stimming?”_

“Yes. He was just here regarding a reported domestic dispute.”

_“Fuck. He won’t let you out of the kitchen? What did you two fight about?”_

“No, he won’t let me out of the kitchen. He doesn’t have a weapon, but he’s doing his best to intimidate me.”

_“Fuck, do you want me to call Hank again?”_

“That’s unnecessary.”

_“Do you want me to come over? Or send one of the boys?”_

“Possibly.”

_“I’m giving you a timer. Call me or text me in ten minutes. I’m sending one of the boys because dick face recognizes me. Probably Daniel or Simon. Your apartment, yeah?”_

Gavin rattled off his address and hung up the phone. He stared Richard down. “Do you want to move now?”

“You didn’t actually call the police.” Richard huffed, rolling his eyes. “Don’t be so dramatic. We were having an argument. I wasn’t _beating_ you. And I’m certainly not holding a gun to your head. You aren’t a hostage, Gavin. For the love of god.”

“Oh, I’m not, am I? Well, it sure does look like it, doesn’t it.” He reached into his pocket, his fingers burning as he touched the dog tag necklace there.

Dog tags.

Fucking dog tags.

He yanked the necklace from his pocket and threw it on the table. “If that isn’t a symbol of ownership, I don’t know what fucking is. You might as well tried to fucking collar me!”

“I was trying to do something nice for you! It was your _birthday,_ Gavin!”

“You- You-” Gavin couldn’t form words. His mind swam. He curled his arms around himself, clawing at them aggressively. “You- You- You- You-”

The word came out even louder every time he said it.

Richard spoke over him, “Honestly, every time I try to do something nice for you, it ends up pissing you off. Why can’t you just be grateful for once? Why can’t you just appreciate all that I do for you?”

“All- All- All that you do for me?” He trembled. “You’re fucking _ridiculous_. You don’t do anything for me that I can’t do for myself! You aren’t the only- You aren’t the only fucking dom in the world, Richard! And you aren’t the only guy either! Because guess what? That’s what you bring to this relationship. Being a dom and having a fucking dick.”

Richard recoiled like he’d been slapped. “And what exactly is it that you bring to this relationship, Gavin? Because it’s not that hard to find a whore willing to drop to their knees. And it’s not that hard to find a sub that _behaves._ ”

“I’m _not your live-in sub!_ You view me as your live-in, but _I’m not!”_

“I don’t view you as my live-in, for the love of _god,_ Gavin! Where are you getting all of this fucking bullshit?”

Gavin’s clawing of his arms turned to tapping. “Just fucking move! I want to leave!”

“We’re not done talking!”

“The police will be here in ten minutes, so fucking _move._ ”

“You didn’t actually call the police.”

“I did!”

“You didn’t. Why do you keep lying to me? What do you have to hide, Gavin?”

“I’m not fucking lying to you!”

There was a jingle of a key in the door, and then a voice calling out, “Gavin? It’s Daniel. You missed your appointment this morning, and then, I heard the yelling.”

Richard turned to look into the living room.

Gavin couldn’t stop moving. He still had Richard’s phone. Almost as though through a muscle spasm, the phone flew from his hand, shattering against the kitchen wall. “Daniel- Daniel- Daniel-”

“I don’t really know who you are, and frankly, I don’t give a fuck. If you don’t move so I can see my patient, I will call the police.”

“You don’t scare me.”

“I should. Now, fucking _move_ before I _make_ you.”

Richard didn’t move.

There was a beat with Daniel on the phone. _North, North, North, he’s talking to North._

“If you don’t move, I swear to god, I will kill you myself.”

_Tapping tapping tapping._

“No, he’s _my_ partner. We’re having issues that we can handle ourselves, _thank you._ ”

“You know nothing about him!” Daniel hissed. “He’s _my_ patient with medical and neurological issues and if you don’t _fucking move, **right now,**_ I’m going to _deck you._ ”

And deck him Daniel did.

_Tapping tapping tapping._

Richard staggered backward, a hand flying up to his nose as Daniel forced his way into the kitchen.

“Oh, shit. Gavin.” Daniel was by his side in half a second. He wrapped his arms around Gavin, pulling him into a tight embrace. Gavin fought against him, his hands _tapping tapping tapping._ Daniel trapped Gavin’s arms between them. “I’ve got you, I’ve got you. North is on her way. I know you won’t calm down until he leaves, but I’ve got you. I’ve got you.”

Gavin fought against him, his arms and hands and fingers _moving moving moving_.

“Let’s get on the ground, okay?”

Shaking his head vigorously, all Gavin could manage out was, “No, no, no.”

“I broke about fifty fucking traffic laws getting here. Where the fuck is he?”

As soon as Richard had recovered from the punch from Daniel, he was greeted by another from North.

“Oops. My hand slipped. Looks like it could be broken. You should really _get out. Leave_ and go get that looked at.”

Blood was leaking from Richard’s nose, his hand cupping it.

And then, North saw Gavin.

“Aw, fuck.” She spun around to face Richard. “You need to leave. Now.”

“I’m not leaving, and you can’t make me.”

She pressed a finger into his chest. “You either leave. Or I call Hank Anderson and get him to _drag your ass out of here in handcuffs._ And not in the fun way.”

“I’ll call you tonight, Gavin.”

“No, you’ll call him tomorrow to apologize for whatever _stupid-ass behavior got him stimming so bad. **Out!** ” _

North shoved Richard out of the kitchen, slamming the door shut behind him. She took one of the chairs from the table and propped it up underneath the knob. Moments later, she was beside Daniel, who was still holding a thrashing Gavin down against the floor. 

“Damn it. _Damn it._ ” North swore. “Fuck. We need to call Markus.”

“No shit we need to call Markus, North. But that won’t solve our problem _now_.” Daniel snapped. “Hank? Tina?”

“Fuck, no, Ti is at the chem lab again today. Hank might be a good option, but by the time he gets here, and then the cops are involved.” North swore again, rubbing her temples. “What about Elijah?”

“No. Can’t. Can’t call Simon either. He’s with Chlo.”

“Okay, _fuck. **Fuck.**_ ” North took a deep breath. “Okay, I’m going to call Markus. I think Gavin still keeps the lockbox in the bathroom, right?”

“As far as I’m fucking aware.” Daniel adjusted his hold on Gavin’s arms, turning his face away from North to speak softly to Gavin, the words coming out in French.

North threw the chair out of the way and threw the door open. Before she could even get a step into the hallway, Richard was grabbing her arm. “What _the fuck_ is going on?”

“For the love of-” She made an exasperated sound, yanking her arm from his grip. “I’m not at liberty to fucking say, but he’ll be fucking fine if you let me get to his _fucking meds._ ”

She stormed down the hallway and shoved open the door to the bathroom. Richard followed close behind her. “I need to know what’s going on-”

“I don’t have to tell you jack shit.” North snapped, kneeling in front of the counter. She rummaged through the cabinets searching for a box.

“Tell me. I won’t ask again.”

There was an eerie darkness to his tone. One she’d only heard Markus use once in a blue moon, and for her to hear from Richard’s mouth… It confirmed her worst fears. She took a deep breath. There was probably a gun within grabbing distance. Richard probably had one. But…

Her hand touched the steel of the gun in the hidden compartment of the bathroom cabinet. Her fingers curled around the base.

“No.”

_“It’s for emergencies.” Gavin had shrugged. “We live in fucking Detroit, I have an IQ of 317, and my brother is Elijah fucking Kamski.”_

_North had laughed. “Just don’t fucking miss.”_

Her head jerked back by her ponytail. She spun, gun in hand, aiming at his forehead.

“Fucking try me, Arkait.” She snarled.

_Just don't fucking miss._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy shit. This chapter took a fucking turn I was NOT expecting. I'm aware that this isn't entirely how overstimming works. But, I'm tweaking it a bit for the sake of fic. I do overstim myself, and it's nothing like this. This isn't meant to imply that Gavin is violent in any way when he overstims (and he's only violent towards himself during the episode). If there's something about this that bothers you, please tell me. I don't mind making corrections. 
> 
> If you had to skip this chapter because of trigger warnings, dm me on tumblr and I can fill you in.
> 
> If you haven't yet, join in the Gavcats server on discord! You'll get sneak peeks! https://discord.gg/MBtgTy


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